Two Parents, Minus One, = One

Last Friday, my sister and I pulled the ventilators off my father.

It was so sudden.
It was unexpected, at least on our part.

The doctors told my sister that he knew he was terminal. He told us, the doctor's got all of his cancer. He was healing nicely, eating, laughing, walking, talking, flirting. And then he began Chemo/Radiation treatment=together.
They call it a "Double Whammy."
Dad was into his 13 treatment.
Had trouble breathing, like his lungs couldn't breathe.
Couldn't go to the bathroom. Constant direahea.
Couldn't lay down, stand up; too much pain to move.
Skin scorched on his forehead, nose, feet, ears.

He was admitted into the hospital for dehydration.
He was admitted into ICU for further complications.

I began receiving the calls around 10pm, EST, while my plane was enroute from San Francisco to Atlanta. When I landed in Altanta, the plane I was on, was headed on to Jacksonville.
When I heard the first message, I began making hurried phone calls.
Mom suggested I stay on that flight and head for Jacksonville, and forget going to Fort Lauderdale.
Delta heard me, and switched my flight.
When I landed in Jacksonville, I got a rental car, and headed straight for Daytona Beach. Landing in about 3 hrs.
Made it to the hospital.
When I spoke in Dad's ear, he nodded. He knew I was there.
But he was heavily drugged.
Tubes going down his throat, hands restrained.
But he heard me.
That was Tuesday morning, Oct 17th, 3am.
My sister flew in with her husband that afternoon.

On Thursday, we pulled the air off him.
That sudden.
Chemo/Radiation is a fast killer.
Dad said it scorched all of his organs.

When they stopped the vintilators, and we were close to dad, speakig to him, we saw tears spring from his eye. And then it was over.
10/20/2006: 1:30pm
COD: Chemotherapy and Radiation overdose.
74yr old.